A mile away is lovely Linton with the quaint Fountaine Inn (fountaineinnatlinton.co.uk), which serves great bar meals. Go fell-walking in glorious Upper Swaledale for superb views down the dale.

Browse Skipton’s market then find a quiet corner by the canal watching the boats. Walk gingerly on the famous limestone pavement above impressive Malham Cove.

Elsewhere, stroll through magnificent Fountains Abbey and admire the fine vistas of Studley Royal. Combine a shopping morning in Harrogate and lunch at Bettys (bettys.co.uk), with a pleasant afternoon in the nearby RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr (rhs.org.uk). Ramble by the waters of The Strid at Bolton Abbey and pack a picnic to eat by the river in Burnsall. Jean Dobson, Tyne and Wear

More advice from readers

Peace and beauty

My favourite area is Nidderdale, the forgotten dale, with its breathtaking scenery viewed either by foot on its many public footpaths or by car through its winding country lanes where you can often find great places to eat such as The Royal Oak Inn (the-royaloak-dacre.co.uk) at Dacre Banks near Summerbridge.Anne Kershaw, Yorkshire

Apple pie and cheese

You have a choice – Swaledale, Wensleydale, Nidderdale or Wharfedale – all equally lovely. Base yourself in historic Richmond and visit England’s best preserved Georgian Theatre.

Travel up Swaledale to Muker with its famous band and marvel at Aysgarth’s three falls as they cascade down the Ure.

At tiny Keld – Pennine Way country – you can drive over to Kirkby Stephen for more delights.

Wensleydale has lots of sheep and as for its cheese – as the saying goes – “Eating apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze”.

From Pateley Bridge, Nidderdale gets rather remote after Lofthouse where you cross the moor to Masham (say Massam) where ale is brewed. Visit Wharfedale and ruined Bolton Abbey but do not try to jump The Strid. The scenery up this dale is very photogenic and the word “serendipity” springs to mind. At Kettlewell, climb over to Middleham where racehorses are trained and Richard III was a “guest” in the castle’s magnificent keep.Jack Hanmer, Derbyshire

Spot the mouse

One of the most delightful walks in the Yorkshire Dales is a 4.5 mile hike (allow about two hours) which starts at Buckden in northern Wharfedale, taking in Hubberholme, Scar House Farm and Cray. It’s a walk which is suitable for nearly everyone, but you will need stout shoes and the relevant OS map. There are two pubs on the way around, so you might not need to take a packed lunch, but bottled water should be in your backpacks. This route takes in many of the delights of the Yorkshire Dales – it takes you along the river, over farmland and along the limestone pavement. There is a lovely church in Hubberholme, where you can spot the little mouse trademark carved into the pews by the maker.Clive Platman, West Midlands

May days

Go in May: the wild flowers are beautiful, it’s reasonably quiet and twice we’ve had excellent weather. Ingleton is a good base: there are the falls, Ingleborough straight up from village and, farther afield, Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent. See wild orchids on the waterfall walk at Aysgarth. Delightful Dent, charming Clapham and, the best, majestic Malham with its tarn and unusual limestone features. Park in the car park and walk through Janet’s Foss with the smell of wild garlic along the way.

A small diversion takes you to Gordale Scar, then backtrack to rejoin the path to Malham where the views are spectacular; it's a good walk down to the cove where the water appears from nowhere. A very special place.S Jimson, Cambridgeshire

Ticket to ride

After many years of enjoying holidays in the Yorkshire Dales, we would suggest using Leyburn, on the eastern edge of the Dales, as an ideal base. As well as being a delightfully understated market town with access to the whole Dales area, it puts you in striking distance of the quieter unspoilt area between the Dales and the North York Moors. Masham, Bedale, Middleham and Jervaulx are highly recommended.

Leyburn is also a great hub for local buses and the tourist information office has “Ticket to ride” walkers’ booklets. Leave town by bus to a nearby village then walk back along a scenic rural route.William Bleasdale, Lancashire

Bluebells and birdsong

There is no better base than Beamsley Hospital (landmarktrust.org.uk), a 500-year-old stone circular almshouse with a tiny chapel at its core, perched on a hill above Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale. Go in spring, walk through the Bolton Abbey Estate woods carpeted in bluebells and watch the drama of the River Wharfe as it is forced through a narrow point at The Strid; lunch at the Craven Arms, Appletreewick (craven-cruckbarn.co.uk), admiring the restored Cruck Barn and drive two miles up to Parcevall Hall (parcevall hallgardens.co.uk) to visit the peaceful gardens at the head of the valley with pools and cascades.Bridget Mellor, Yorkshire

For train buffs

For a weekend visit or a longer visit, stay in either the spa town of Ilkley, or in The Angel Inn at Hetton (angelhetton.co.uk). From either you can easily explore my favourite area, Wharfedale, visiting Bolton Abbey, Burnsall, Grassington and Kettlewell, admiring the changing views and stopping off for strolls or hikes along the way. Take a day to visit the market town of Skipton with its castle and ride the steam train at Embsay. For lunch go to Buffers at Storiths (01756 710253): great home-made cakes and train fans can admire the model railway layouts upstairs.Diane Ansell, Yorkshire

Nature’s gym

The Yorkshire Dales are nature’s gym and steeped in accessible history. How you visit is determined by your available energy. For those able to get up close and personal to nature, walkingcaveman.blogspot.co.uk describes the eight segments of the Dales National Park, with OS maps of walking routes and what may be seen, from Roman forts to ancient chapels. Danes, Norseman and Romans have all left their mark, industries have flourished here, farming, wool trade and textile production, now tourism.Canon Alan Hughes, Northumberland

Treasure chest

The countryside surrounding Masham is like an old, well-loved treasure chest to me in which I still find enchanting surprises. One of these is Hackfall Woods, which covers the natural gorge of the River Ure. As we strolled through meadowland and over a stile into the woods, I felt I had walked into Narnia, as a hidden landscape opened before us.

In the 18th century, it was owned by the Aislaby family, who created a woodland garden that invites you to explore its many paths. These lead through lush plantation past sparkling waterfalls, to vistas that show castles and follies in the distant landscape. Enchanting.Judith Gill, Cleveland

Dales experience

Walk on Wild Boar Fell, or Great Whernside. For the cyclist, the Buttertubs Pass is breathtaking, linking Wensleydale with Swaledale, where lovely Reeth has a vast village green.

Pretty too is Dentdale, where Dent is known for its brewery and cobblestone streets. The Settle-Carlisle railway can provide access, as Dent has a lofty station down the dale. Ribblehead viaduct is just a couple of stops away. Catherine Smith, Lancashire

Brontë calling

Enrol on a writing course at the Arvon Foundation’s Lumb Bank (arvonfoundation.org), a stroll down a steep, single-track lane from Heptonstall in Calderdale. It’s the former home of the poet, Ted Hughes, and the very stones of this 18th-century mill owner’s house seem suffused with creativity. Feast on the view across the moors to Stoodley Pike.

Even better, walk there (nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineWay). If you prefer literary pilgrimage, wend your way through Heptonstall’s cobbled streets (heptonstall.org) to Sylvia Plath’s grave in the village churchyard.Maureen Sleeman, Cornwall

Mystery tour

Visit The Forbidden Corner near Middleham (theforbiddencorner.co.uk), a delightful mixture of beautifully crafted gardens and landscape mixed with follies, labyrinths, tunnels, chambers and full of surprises. No route map is provided just a leaflet with clues to follow. Be prepared to get wet, lost, bemused, amused and even a little scared. Timed tickets need to be purchased in advance, but it is well worth the effort: the views over the Dales from the garden are worth the admission price alone.Lynda McVann, Gloucestershire

WHAT TO AVOID

Escape the crowds

Malham can be a tourist honeypot during the day, but don’t let that put you off. The village has two quite different but welcoming pub/hotels: The Buck Inn (buckinnmalham.com) and The Lister Arms (listerarms.co.uk); both have excellent food and beer.

The walk from the village to the cove is best done early or in the late afternoon to avoid the inevitable school parties, but by climbing up to the amazing limestone pavement you leave most of the crowds behind. From here, carry on to Malham Tarn and over Broad Scars to Janet’s Foss and stunning Gordale Scar. Jan Kilby, Bedfordshire

Rail walk

The Settle-Carlisle line offers great opportunites for walking from stations. I’m sure Telegraph readers would do their homework first, but just in case, avoid getting off at 'Dent’ Station in the hope of ambling to Dent: it’s a bit like those Ryanair airports that are some distance from the cities they purport to serve: the station is a good five or six miles from the village. David Gregory, London

The north country

I hesitate to say avoid the southern dales as they’re delightful, but they can become very busy, both on the fells and in the villages. Try some of the more peripheral dales for equally lovely (if occasionally a little less bucolic) scenery and much emptier paths. Garsdale would be one recommendation.Graham Bishop, Yorkshire